Crystal Guide: Attack Strategies

If you’ve read our Crystal Basics article, then you may be wondering what are the best strategies for attacking and controlling the Crystal.

This article will cover strategies, tips, and tactics used in attacking the Crystal in Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire. We will cover the essential factors that influence a Crystal fight as well as different scenarios that might occur while fighting for the Crystal, and how to best prepare for each of them. Use the information provided in this article to help you better prepare for the next time Crystal fight and become Emperor of your realm.

 

The Crystal and Heroes

Each hero has unique skills that are suited for the Crystal. We will briefly go over the pros and cons of each hero during a Crystal fight.

Noctis

Pros:

• March Size and Rally Size skills allow for more reinforcements and larger reinforcement Capacity.
• Level 100 Noctis allows for even larger Crystal capacity, march size, and an added march slot, allowing you to send even more attacks or reinforcements.
• Troop HP skill affects all troop types and  will keep more troops alive in the Crystal longer.

Cons:

• Requires level 70+ to unlock Rally Size skills and level 100 for an additional march slot.

Prompto

Pros:

• Attack March Speed skill helps him beat other heroes to the Crystal.
• Rally Attack and Rally March Speed skills essential to fighting on the Crystal Scar.
• Destroyer Attack skill at level 90 and Shred Armor skill at level 100 are great for winning Crystal fights.

Cons:

• No defensive or Crystal-specific skills.
• Some Assault skills don’t work at the crystal, as they’re only for City Assault Attack, City Assault HP, and City Assault Armor.

 

Luna

Pros:

• Crystal Attack and HP skills are perfect for holding the Crystal long-term.
• Defender Attack and HP are great tools to stack for Crystal once captured.
• If using Guardians, Guardian Attack will increase survivability of Guardians.
• Attack Resistance is great for all troop types and will decrease overall casulaties.

Cons:

• Crystal Enemy Slow is not very effective for home Crystal. May be good for events such as Titan, however.

Ignis

Pros:

• Airship Attack, HP & Armor skills are perfect for attacking a Crystal defended with Guardians.
• Siege Mastery at level 100 grants bonuses to help your Siege Engines assault a Crystal that is defended with Destroyers.
• Master Tactician skill boosts attack for all troop types simultaneously.
• Floating Fortress skill at level 90 significantly increase Warrior, Calvary and Mage HP the more Airships you include in a march.
• Analyze Weakness grants additional attack to all troops.

Cons:

• No Troop HP; mostly benefits Airships, Traps, and Siege.

 

Aranea

Pros:

• Mercenary Attack & HP skills work for all types of mercenary troops.
• Giant Killer skill at level 50 increases Troop Attack Bonus based you your opponent’s HP, with a minimum of +300% and maximum of +2,000% Troop Attack.

Cons:

• Luna’s Guardian HP and Prompto’s Destroyer Attack skills give higher bonuses.

 

Although the hero you want to use when attacking the Crystal will vary based on the circumstance and troop availability, the hero most often used when defending the Crystal is Luna.

Despite the fact that the only troop-specific skill she has is for Mage, Luna’s skill tree also has three unique boosts that you won’t find anywhere else on a hero: Crystal Attack, Crystal HP, Crystal Enemy Slow (also known as Intimidation), and Attack Resistance. She also has Defense HP and Attack, as well as Guardian HP and Attack. After maxing out all of these skills, a high level Luna is virtually invincible in the Crystal.

 

Crystal Attack Equipment

Having the right equipment makes all the difference when fighting for the Crystal. Here are the best gear sets currently available for attacking the Crystal.

Glacian

Pros:

• The best all-around Troop Attack bonus gear.

Cons:

• Many of the bonuses are specific to mage only.

Mercenary Commander

Pros:

• Mercenary HP and Armor bonuses allow for less overall mercenary deaths.

Cons:

• If you’re using anything other than mercenaries, it’s wise to choose a different gear set.

Magitek Alpha

Pros:

• The overall best HP and defensive gear with plenty of Attack bonuses.
• Perfect for Imperial Frigates.

Cons:

• Extremely difficult to craft.
• Anything less than Legendary quality is not useful.

Guardian

Pros:

• Guardian HP and Armor bonuses are great for Crystal defense, if using Guardians.

Cons:

• Not a lot of offense when assaulting the Crystal.
• Does not increase Troop Attack enough.

Gems

The type of gems you have embedded in your equipment play an important role in Crystal offense. Since the goal is to kill as many of the defending troops as possible while minimizing losses, we recommend using a mix of Armor, HP, and Attack.  You will want to prioritize whichever troop type is your strongest.

Ideally, you should have:

1. Armor Gems
2. HP Gems
3. Troop Attack Gems (for Mage/Cavalry/Warrior – whichever is strongest)

Gems that boost your Intimidation may be helpful when defending during Titan, when every second counts towards your success in obtaining the Supreme Emperor crown, but not as much at the Crystal. Intimidation gems should never be used when attacking. Every single gem slot you have is an opportunity to further your competitive advantage over your opponent.

We recommend only embedding gems level 5 and above. At level 6, you start to see some serious benefits that will make a huge difference when fighting for the Crystal.

Monsters and Boosts

With so many monsters now available in the Monster Farm, how can you be sure you’re using the best one for your Crystal assault? Ideally, you want to use a monster that helps increase your kill count against your opponent while protecting your own troops. Here are the best monsters to use while attacking the Crystal.

• Crystal Giant: +225% Troop Attack, +225% Attack Resistance, +225% Juggernaut Attack*
• St. Patrick’s Flan: +400% Attack Resistance*
• St. Patrick’s Chocobo: +300% Troop Attack*
• St. Patrick’s Tonberry: +400% Armor Piercing*

*These are all monsters which could only be obtained during special events. If you weren’t able to obtain these monsters during the event, use a monster with similar benefits.

Crystal Attack Troops

With the addition of Mercenary troops, Crystal fights have changed significantly. If you can’t yet train T6 or even T7 troops, these mercenaries are your best bet when combined with gear that specifically benefits them.

• Destroyers: Dubbed the “game-killing” troop, all you need is enough of these bad boys to be invincible in any Crystal.
• Samurai: Seiryu and Genbu get an amazing attack boost when going up against any Crystal contenders that are a higher citadel level than you. Use this benefit wisely.
• Guardians: Crownsguard are perfect for defending the crystal and help minimize losses when attacking.
• Airships: Imperial Frigates are the best type of troop to use when attacking a crystal that is well-defended by plenty of Guardians.
• Commanders: R3 type commanders have serious benefits that are specific to troop types. Use Advanced Combat Research to further increase these benefits. Including them in your Crystal strategy will go a long way.

Troops that are ineffective or will only contribute to troops killed on your side include Dragoons, Marauders, Reavers and Raiders.

Resetting the Crystal

If your guild is currently holding the Crystal, but you’re not quite ready to give it up, even though the Contested phase is fast approaching, there is a quick and easy way to reset the Crystal and ensure that you can continue to hold the coveted crown.

This is a simple strategy that involves one loyal player from your guild going to a different guild, or using a farm account to attack the empty crystal with 1 troop and their hero. This will effectively reset the crystal, and then allow you and your guild to retake it.

Alternatively, if your guild is currently holding the Crystal as it goes from Protected to Contested, you still have the opportunity to fill it with reinforcements. This will allow you to defend against attackers who gather around the Crystal, waiting for the first possible opportunity to attack it. Then, once your attackers get bored and leave, you can safely pull out your reinforcements and reset the Crystal without the threat of someone getting there before you do.

Keep in mind that the 12 hour timer for the Crystal’s Contested Phase will not start until the title of Emperor switches hands, or in this case, switches guilds.

Getting There First

Any player with enough speed-ups can get to the Crystal first. Defending the Crystal as the onslaught of Emperor contenders arrive just seconds after you become Emperor is another story entirely.

For RvR, the previous occupants of the Crystal will be automatically ejected in both your realm and the opposing realm. You won’t have to reset the Crystal, but if you want to become Emperor, you do have to get there first!

The same goes for Neutral Realm Crystals, where there is no previous Crystal occupant. The player who arrives first becomes emperor and has the opportunity to fill it with reinforcements.

When to Send a Solo March

You don’t always need to rally the crystal to take it. With the right troops in a solo march, you can take the crystal, or make it easier to take for another member in your guild. Use strategic discretion to choose the best scenario to send a solo march or set a rally.

• Always use a March Size boost item. +10% March Size can be purchased in the Guild Store for 130,000 loyalty for the 1 hour items and 200,000 loyalty for the 4 hour items.
• When the Crystal goes from the Protected phase to the Contested phase and an Emperor has not yet been chosen, the first solo march to the Crystal will become Emperor and subsequent marches will reinforce the Crystal.
• If you chose to rally the Crystal, sending all of your available marches to attack the Crystal just before your rally hits will kill off the troops defending the Crystal before reinforcements can be replaced, making your rally even more effective.
• If you’re strong enough, solo marches with certain troop types can be even more effective than a full rally. We won’t reveal all of our secrets here and leave it up to you to find out what those troops are.

Rallying the Crystal

So, you didn’t get to the Crystal first and now it is overflowing with reinforcements. Maybe you got lucky and you have higher level troops, a higher level hero, and a larger rally capacity than the current Emperor. If so, congratulations — you have a significant advantage when fighting to gain control of the Crystal. But when your scout comes back and tells you that there are 400,000+ troops and a high level hero in the Crystal, then you know that this has just became a game of might and strategy.

Setting a rally against the Crystal should be done only after exhausting all other possible options. Successfully rallying the Crystal is not going to be quick, easy, or painless if the Emperor you are rallying against is a seasoned Crystal veteran. Use these tips to give your guild the best possible chance of winning a rally against the Crystal.

• Keep in mind that you’re fighting on the Crystal Scar, which means that every march will take twice as long, including Rallies. Depending on what troops you’re sending in your rally, you might end up waiting 30 minutes (or if your have Destroyers in your rally, 60 minutes or more) before your troops arrive, giving the enemy plenty of time to counter with a defense strategy.
• It helps to know what troops and mercenaries your guild has before setting a rally. Take a second to do a mercenary roll call before reinforcements arrive.
• Examine the Crystal scout report closely. This will determine what troops you send in each rally, as you want to attack with only troops that are strong against the troop types defending the Crystal.
• Remember: only the rally leader’s boosts affect troops in his or her rally! If the odds are stacked against you, the rally leader should use as many stackable combat boosts as possible to give your guild the best chance of winning.

Conclusion

Attacking and successfully winning the Crystal can be boiled down to a few things: hero, equipment, and troop type. There isn’t one key formula for attacking the Crystal; every Crystal fight is different and requires a unique strategic approach. You’ll have to experiment and see what works best for the players in your realm.

Incorporate all of these Crystal offense strategies to give your guild the best possible chance of successfully winning the Crystal and becoming the Emperor of your realm!